Laundry apparatus



13, 1932. I CONSORT] 1,890,455

LAUNDRY APPARATUS Filed April 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Patented n... 13,1932

PATENT OFFICE some conson'rr, or snooxmm, NEW YORK, nssionon or SIXTY ONE-HUNDREDTHS 'ro LOUIS eonnon, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK LAUNDRY APPARATUS Application filed spur 1e,

This invention relates to improvements "in laundry machinery, and more (particularly it pertains to a novel machine an arrangement of devices for use in laundr plants 1n connection with ironingmac ines employed therein.

It is the general practice in laundry plants, and articularly in such plants asemploy so-ca led flat work ironers, to deliver the pieces to the flat work ironer large lots in which the individual pieces are damp, and are rolled or in balled or bunched condition. Before introduction into the flat work ironer the-pieces must be individually manipulated to strai hten them outand to remove the major olds and wrinkles therefrom. This requires several operatives in attendance at the ironer to maintain capacity operation thereof and thus renders the laundry operation needlessl expensive. I

It is one o the objects of the present in- I vention to provide a means whereby the damp partially folded and bunched articles may be operated upon to remove the major folds or wrinkles independently ofoperatives.

It is another object of the invention .to

" provide means for receiving the partially unfolded articles and deliver them to a flat work ironing machine.

Other features of the invention relate to certain novel and im roved constructions, arran ments and com inations of parts hereina ter described and particularly out in the claims, the advanta es ofwhich' will be readily understood an appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying d'rawin illustrating the invention in its preferre forms and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a laundry apparatus constructed in accordance with t e present invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of that portion of the apparatus which serves to unfold the articles to be ironed,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the unfolding device, and; v

ointed by suitable braces 22.

ing frame thereof.

1931. "serial no. 530,874.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring again to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, the device comprises a tumblingbarrel or the like 10 which is adapted to receive-the articles to be unfolded and tumble them about until the major folds and wrinkles are removed therefrom. From this device,the articles are delivered onto a conveyor 11, which in turn delivers to a conveyor 12 which extends parallel with the axis or substantially so of the rolls of a flat work ironer 13. The flat work ironer delivers to a conveyor or the like 14 the several articles after they have been ironed thereby, and this'conveyor delivers the ironed articles to a table or other suitable device 15 from which they are taken by desired form.

In the operation of the apparatus thus far described, a number of operatives stand at the point ,marked X in Figure l and feed the operatives and folded in any that work ironer 13 with the various articles p to be ironed thereby the operatives first removing the articles to be delivered to the ironer so that theyymaybe fed therethrough in the proper shape.

The tumblin'g device 10 of the apparatus consists of a barrel like member 20 which in the present illustration of the invention is '80 mounted in a suitable frame work which consists of frame members 21 connected together The barrel has two track like members 23 and rests upon rollers or the like 24 which in turn are carried in the circular members 21 of the frame. The tracks 23 are preferably channel shape in cross section and thus prevent longitudinal movement of the barrel like member 20 in ,the support- In the present embodiment of the invention, the barrel like member 20 is rotated by means of a belt 25 driven from a shaft 26 which in turn is operated by an electric motor 27. The belt 26 passes around a pulley 28 which in turn surrounds the barrel like member 20 as best illustrated in Figure 3.

Thus it will be apparent that as the motor 27 drives the shaft 26 throughthe medium of the gearing designated 29in Figure 1, the belt a Means is provided to feed the several arof which is open as 36 and v tumbler as indicated which extend from end 'point. 1

.to the conveyor ticles to be operated upon to the interior of the tumbler and in the the invention, this means like member 30 supported by a racket or the like 31. The'hood like member 30 is fed by means of an inclined chute 32 which leads thereinto as at 33 in Figure 3. The hood 30 is of such shape that articles fed into the chute 32 will be discharged from the hood directly to the interior of the tumbler.

The discharge end of the tumbler operates. within a hood like member 36 the lower end at 37, and operating beneath this hood 36 and passing through the opening 37, is the conveyor 11 heretofore mentioned. By this means, it will be obvious that the articles after having been 0 rated upon by the tumbler will be delivere to the hood deposited upon the conveyor h11 for eretopresent embodiment o com uses a hood delivery thereby to the conveyor 12 fore mentioned. 1

As best illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the interior of the barrel like member is enlar ed in the direction of its discharge end an it is provided with-a plurality of ding ribs. or the like 40- longitudinally exten to end of the tumbler. The outer edge of .these ribs 40 is incline and tapers near the dischar end of the at 41 in said figure to aid discharging of the articles and a movement thereof along the tumbler durin operation thereof. Relatively shorter mem rs 43 may be secured to the interior surface of the tumbler near its discharge end'and extending inwardly thereof from the discharge end onl as distinguishedfrom the members 40 whic extend throughout the length of the tumbler. The shorter members 43, which extend in.- wardly from the dischargeend of the tumbler increase the number of impulses to the articles just before they leave the tumbler to more effectively remove the folds at this Thus it will be apparent that as bunched or partially folded articles such as towels, napkins and similar pieces of goods are introduced into the tumbler, they will be tumbled about and intheirmovement' through the same'will become at least partially unfolded andthe major folds jor wrinkles removed therefrom after which they will be delivered upon the conveyor 11 for delivery. 12 to be transferred to the flat work ironer. V

It sometimes happens that the barrel like member will deliver articles; to the conveyorv 11 which in turn will deliver them to the conveyor 12 at a' rate faster than they can be handled by the operatives which to the flat work ironer and means is. provided whereby any excess articles which are not rel for removing major folds from arti removed from the conveyor 12, will be auto- 'matically returned to the barrel like member trated in a referred form,

States, is

feed them i the lengt of the barrel.

and agam passed through the circuit to the flat work ironer or rather to the conveyor 12 f where they may be introduced into the flat work ironer thus making it unnecessary for the operatives to remove every article from.v the conveyor 12 which is delivered to the position or location X in Figure 1. Such a construction has other advantages in that it er- I mits the o eratives to refuse articles w ch are not su ciently unfolded for their purose and permits that article to be returned to the barrel like member for further operation.

In the present embodiment of the IIIVGII'.

tion this means which returns the articles to the arrel like member 10 comprises a conveyor flight 50 the lower end 51 of which is positioned beneath one end of 12 and the upper end of this conveyor flight 50, is positioned over the chute 32 heretofore mentioned as designated 52 in Figure 1.

Thus it will be apparent that any articles which are upon the conveyor been handled by the operatives at the location X in Figure 1 will be discharged from the end of the conveyor 12 onto the conveyor 50 and returned by said conveyor 50 to the chute 32 where they will operation.

Thus it will be apparent that the present apparatus, whereby flat pieces may be greatly facilitated in that the major folds and wrinkles are removed therefrom before they are resented or offered to the o eratives of t 'e flat work ironer and that in an automatic manner. 1

While the invention has been herein illusit is to be under-.

stood that t e invention is not limited to the specific constructions it may be practiced in other-forms without departing om'the spirit thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and what .it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United 115 1. In a laundry apparatus, a tumbling barrel for removing ma or folds from artic es to beironed, .comprisin a rotating barrel increasing in' diameter f! outlet end and-a plurality of lon "tudinally extending .ribs arranged upon t e interior of the barrel and extendingfrom the discharge end in the direction of its inlet end,

certain of said ribs extending but approxll8 mately halfthe length of remainin ribs extending the barrel, and the through the eifec I 2. Ina laundry apparatus, a tumbling1 the conveyor 12and have not 00 again be fed into the 05 d barrel like member for further unfolding is operation is carried out 1 5 herein shown, andthat "1-10 om its inlet end to its '120 bar- I egto 134 be ironed, comprisi a rotating barrel increasing in diameter om its inlet end to its outlet "end and a plurality of longitudinally extendin ribs arran ed u on the interior of 5 the barre and extending ii-om the discharge end in the direction of its inlet end, certain of said ribs extendin butapproximately half, the length of the arrel, and the remaining. ribs extending through the effective lengt 10 of the barrel, and said longer ribs being tapered inthe direction of the discharge end of the barrel. 3. In a laundry apparatus, a tumblin barrel for removing major folds from articles to 15 be ironed, said barrel being open at both ends for continuously receiving and discharging individual articles, belt means for-conveyin said articles from the outlet to the inlet 0 A said barrel, said belt means together with 2 said tumbling barrel forming a closed path for the articles and enclosing an area within which an operator may be positioned to remove selected articles from the belt means for the ironing treatment. 7 2.1 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

, JOHN CONSORTL- 

